Why Chinese Aircraft Struggle in the Global Market
China has made massive progress in aviation over the past two decades. From building high-speed rail networks to launching its own commercial jets, the country is clearly aiming to compete with industry giants. And yet, despite all that progress, Chinese passenger aircraft still struggle to gain traction internationally. Why? China’s Ambition: Breaking the Boeing–Airbus Duopoly For decades, the global commercial aviation market has been dominated by two companies: Boeing Airbus Together, they control the vast majority of large commercial aircraft sales worldwide. China wants a piece of that market—and its main contender is the COMAC C919 , developed by COMAC . On paper, the C919 is designed to compete directly with aircraft like: Boeing 737 Airbus A320 But competing on paper is very different from winning in reality. 1. Certification Barriers: The Biggest Roadblock One of the biggest reasons Chinese aircraft struggle internationally is certification. ...